


Stars

by starrystarrytrouble



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Angst, Boss/Employee Relationship, Doctors & Physicians, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Romance, Slow Burn, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrystarrytrouble/pseuds/starrystarrytrouble
Summary: If Ethan had one wish, what would he ask for? MC’s about to find out.Set after OH2 chap 6.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 24





	Stars

“Ursa major, up there, and can you see the Big Dipper?” Ethan pointed right above them and Eve tilted her head back to follow his fingers swirling the cool air.

The night was cloudless, the finest Boston had to offer, the sizzle of stars crashing through the darkness. They sat outside Donahue’s, stillness and quiet enveloping them with a rare mist of calmness neither experienced often.

For the first time in days Eve felt relaxed. She stretched out against the bench with her whole body lightly pressing against Ethan’s side, the prolonged contact warm and comforting.

Ever since she left Leland Bloom recovering from his operation, she felt a constant niggle, a whisper in the back of her mind, that she’d done something wrong. A fear that she’d played the system and ended up rooting for the wrong side. And now finally, being here, watching Ethan play dot-to-dot with the sky, she let those troubles wash away.

“I can’t believe you’ve never looked at the stars before, Rookie.”

“I guess I prefer things a little closer to home.” she looked him up and down casually causing him to roll his eyes before he carried on.

“I used to like watching the night sky growing up. I haven’t done it in years. The Rhode Island sky is crystal clear. I’d spend hours looking out and then reading up on the different constellations and galaxies.”

“I bet you had a cute little telescope and everything.”

“I wouldn’t use those words exactly, but yes I did. It made growing up a little easier. Knowing there was something else out there.”

She remembered the way he looked on the yacht earlier, the same glow filling his eyes as he stared up at her. But now he seemed different, carefree. The night darkened his face, and there was a permanent smile playing in the corners of his mouth. If she didn’t know better, she would have said he was _happy_.

And how did he manage to look younger so quickly. She could almost see the inquisitive young Ethan peering up and tracing Cassiopeia in his notebook. And then the faintest thought crept in, the tiny wonder of what he’d be like with someone small in tow, showing the universe off to fresh eyes.

She brushed it off as quickly as it had infiltrated her mind and reminded herself to play along. He was enjoying this far too much for her to tell him that she took an astronomy class in college. 

“Wait…that one up there, it’s moving, is that a shooting star?”

“That’s an airplane.”

“Right. Awkward. Whatever, I’m a doctor not an astronaut.”

“An…astronaut?!” Ethan saw her raise her eyebrows and realised she was messing with him. He shook his head and smiled.

“What would you wish for? If it was a shooting star?” she asked. “I mean if you could have anything. Like Leland Bloom today. He had a condition beyond anyone’s control. And he still managed to buy his way out. He doesn’t need to wish for anything. Honestly, I don’t know…it seems so _unfair_.”

“He did what he could to survive. Just like we did by accepting him as a transplant patient. I don’t approve of it but I can understand that.”

“Someone else missed out on a transplant, though. They suffered so he could live.”

“You said it yourself Rookie, that much power is dangerous. People like Bloom. The normal rules don’t apply.”

“But it’s still our job to help them? To delay the inevitable?”

“The inevitable is still exactly that. People like Bloom can use their wealth and influence to put it off but it doesn’t change anything. You can’t delay things forever,” he lent back, gently pressing in closer against her body.

“Do you still think there’s more out there?” she gestured towards the sky.

“I think there are things science can’t explain yet.”

He tipped his head back up and softly shut his eyes, feeling his hair rustle in the breeze. The temptation to stare at him was too much for Eve.

Time is relative, Einstein said. She learnt that in her undergrad physics class, but she never expected to experience it. Sitting there in silence, feeling the moment draw itself out into a small forever.

“Can I give you some advice?”

Ethan raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

“You should relax more often. It looks good on you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Okay, so back to the wish. We know you don’t want power. What about money, success, fame…oh.”

Eve caught him smirking and knew what he was thinking.

“You already have those things. Fine, I get it. But there must be something even Ethan Ramsey can’t have.”

She regretted it the minute she said it.

He fixed on her with an intensity she hadn’t seen since his first night back when they’d been sitting in this exact spot. How he watched the stars was nothing compared to the way he was looking at her.

He was fighting himself back and she didn’t want to fall into the trap of talking about them. The can'ts, wants, won’ts, the semantics and rules that moved them no closer.

She slipped her hand into his, as if in answer, intertwining them together.

He lifted her hand up and without breaking eye contact, moved it to his lips, gently kissing each one of her fingers and lingering on her thumb.

“I have everything I need.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> This was a pain to write so if anyone made it this far, you have my gratitude. 
> 
> @starrystarrytrouble on Tumblr


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